New president pushes Fusion Coolant Systems forward

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Fusion Coolant Systems executed a pivot in its business plan from new leadership in the clean-tech startup over the last year, which is setting the stage for growth later this year.

The 5-year-old startup, which calls Focus: HOPE's job training campus home, makes an environmentally friendly cutting fluid for industrial uses that help improve performance while reducing the wear. The technology aims to eliminate the toxic cutting fluids that are standard today in sectors like aerospace and automotive. The firm is also looking to focus on machining parts made of exotic materials, such as titanium.

"We have a lot of changes going on right now," says Brad Darr, president of Fusion Coolant Systems. "More specifically we have begun to focus on the end user. Before we were focused on machine tooling. We realized no one is going to sell our product like us."

One of those changes is Darr. He came on to lead the startup last June and now oversees a team of four. He hopes to add another 2-3 people later this year to help accommodate the company’s expected sales growth. Focusing on end users is the leverage Darr and his team hope to take advantage of soon.

"We are at the point where 75 percent of our focus is on this type of customer," Darr says.

Fusion Coolant Systems is also looking to raise a Series A round of venture capital later this year. It is aiming to lock down $1 million that Darr hopes will expedite the company’s growth.

"We're looking to get traction early in the year," Darr says. "We're looking to scale midway through the year."